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The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History; May-October 1940
The Nazi Blitzkrieg was unlike any invasion the world had ever seen. It hit Europe with a force and aggression that no-one could counter. Within weeks the German armies were at the French coast and looking across at Britain, a country still reeling from the opening salvoes of the war. It seemed impossible that she would be able to resist invasion.
But between the Nazis and glory stood more than just the pilots of Fighter Command. There was Bomber and Coastal Command, the Royal Navy and the incredible Auxiliary Patrol Service. In this darkest hour, Britain's defence was truly a national effort, and one that had been considerably better prepared for than the German attack.
For the first time, The Battle of Britain tells this most epic of stories from a 360° perspective, drawing on extensive new research from around the world that challenges some of the long-held myths about the battle. Holland paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summer - a time in which the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.
But between the Nazis and glory stood more than just the pilots of Fighter Command. There was Bomber and Coastal Command, the Royal Navy and the incredible Auxiliary Patrol Service. In this darkest hour, Britain's defence was truly a national effort, and one that had been considerably better prepared for than the German attack.
For the first time, The Battle of Britain tells this most epic of stories from a 360° perspective, drawing on extensive new research from around the world that challenges some of the long-held myths about the battle. Holland paints a complete picture of that extraordinary summer - a time in which the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.
959 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2010
353 people are currently reading
2626 people want to read
About the author
James Holland
67 books1,048 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. He has worked for several London publishing houses and has also written for a number of national newspapers and magazines. Married with a son, he lives near Salisbury.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
James Holland was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, and studied history at Durham University. He has worked for several London publishing houses and has also written for a number of national newspapers and magazines. Married with a son, he lives near Salisbury.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
June 21, 2019
James Holland is fast becoming one of my favorites of the new generation of World War II historians. What he has written is not your usual Battle of Britain narrative. Mr. Holland tells a more complete story than your standard Battle of Britain history. For one thing, he starts the story before the war even begins by looking at the relative strengths and weakness of the two opposing Air Forces. He also explores the politics of rearmament and just why Britain was unprepared for war in 1939/40.
Also, he starts the main narrative not with the evacuation of Dunkirk in June, but with Germany’s assault on the Low Countries and France in May. He gives a pretty good summary of the Battle of France and the retreat to Dunkirk and Churchill’s attempts to keep France in the War. He spends some time discussing just how Germany suckered France and Britain into advancing into Holland and allowing the Panzers to get behind them. He also spends some time discussing why many of the German Commanders, Von Rundstedt among them, reluctance to put faith in the Panzers and Guderian's plan. In discussing Dunkirk, the efforts of the RAF to provide air support for the embattled BEF and the reasons it was not apparent to the ground forces on the beaches is well explained. He also tells just how much stuff the BEF left in France.
The focus of the narrative shifts in the period from the end of the Dunkirk evacuations to the winding down of the German bombing in October. While the air battles are Holland’s main focus, he takes pains to discuss just what was happing at sea. The author spends considerable pages discussing the U-Boat war and just how close it came to strangling Britain. With only 9-15 boats at sea at any one time in 1940, the U-Boats ran rampant sinking shipping almost at will. Included in the U-Boat discussions, is a look at the strategic decisions made by the prewar German Navy, which left the submarine forces woefully short of boats at the beginning of the war.
The finals parts of the book is the actual telling of the Luftwaffe’s efforts against Britain. Mr. Holland uses many firsthand accounts from both sides to tell the story. He looks at the tactics, formations, intelligence both sides were getting, target selection for both the Luftwaffe and the embryonic efforts of the RAF’s bomber command.
He is especially scathing on the German intelligence efforts. This ranges from the lack of awareness of just what those antennas on the coast were, there overestimating of Fighter Commands losses and Britain to ability to replace those losses, the morale of the RAF and the British Civilians. Holland asserts that German intelligence got almost nothing right. One example he cites is that in September, German intelligence estimated that Fighter Command had only 189 a/c available when the actual figure was over 600. Britain on the other hand, was within 10% with their estimates of Luftwaffe aircraft availability.
Mr Holland also looks at just how run down German strength was by September October. He states in September some of the German fighter groups could only put up 8 or 9 aircraft, instead of the 30+ they were able to do at the beginning of the battle. He also looks at the morale of the Fighter pilots. Britain was able to rotate there squadrons in and out of the Battle keeping their pilots relatively fresh. The German pilots on the other hand, flew until they were shot down and captured or killed. By September, this was taking a toll on their morale.
To summarize, this is superbly researched, very readable and an excellent telling of just not the air war over Britain in the summer of 1940. It is a complete look at everything that was going on in the war between Germany and Great Britain during that time. If GR allowed partial stars this is a 4.25 star read, so I’ve rounded down.
Also, he starts the main narrative not with the evacuation of Dunkirk in June, but with Germany’s assault on the Low Countries and France in May. He gives a pretty good summary of the Battle of France and the retreat to Dunkirk and Churchill’s attempts to keep France in the War. He spends some time discussing just how Germany suckered France and Britain into advancing into Holland and allowing the Panzers to get behind them. He also spends some time discussing why many of the German Commanders, Von Rundstedt among them, reluctance to put faith in the Panzers and Guderian's plan. In discussing Dunkirk, the efforts of the RAF to provide air support for the embattled BEF and the reasons it was not apparent to the ground forces on the beaches is well explained. He also tells just how much stuff the BEF left in France.
The focus of the narrative shifts in the period from the end of the Dunkirk evacuations to the winding down of the German bombing in October. While the air battles are Holland’s main focus, he takes pains to discuss just what was happing at sea. The author spends considerable pages discussing the U-Boat war and just how close it came to strangling Britain. With only 9-15 boats at sea at any one time in 1940, the U-Boats ran rampant sinking shipping almost at will. Included in the U-Boat discussions, is a look at the strategic decisions made by the prewar German Navy, which left the submarine forces woefully short of boats at the beginning of the war.
The finals parts of the book is the actual telling of the Luftwaffe’s efforts against Britain. Mr. Holland uses many firsthand accounts from both sides to tell the story. He looks at the tactics, formations, intelligence both sides were getting, target selection for both the Luftwaffe and the embryonic efforts of the RAF’s bomber command.
He is especially scathing on the German intelligence efforts. This ranges from the lack of awareness of just what those antennas on the coast were, there overestimating of Fighter Commands losses and Britain to ability to replace those losses, the morale of the RAF and the British Civilians. Holland asserts that German intelligence got almost nothing right. One example he cites is that in September, German intelligence estimated that Fighter Command had only 189 a/c available when the actual figure was over 600. Britain on the other hand, was within 10% with their estimates of Luftwaffe aircraft availability.
Mr Holland also looks at just how run down German strength was by September October. He states in September some of the German fighter groups could only put up 8 or 9 aircraft, instead of the 30+ they were able to do at the beginning of the battle. He also looks at the morale of the Fighter pilots. Britain was able to rotate there squadrons in and out of the Battle keeping their pilots relatively fresh. The German pilots on the other hand, flew until they were shot down and captured or killed. By September, this was taking a toll on their morale.
To summarize, this is superbly researched, very readable and an excellent telling of just not the air war over Britain in the summer of 1940. It is a complete look at everything that was going on in the war between Germany and Great Britain during that time. If GR allowed partial stars this is a 4.25 star read, so I’ve rounded down.
July 27, 2020
If you're looking for a book which tells the complete story of the Battle of Britain, this isn't the book for you. This book starts with the German invasion of France in May 1940 and runs through October of that same year when the Germans cancelled their plans to invade England. The actual Battle of Britain itself takes up less than half the book, but Holland does a great job of setting the table for the battle and showing how it was much more than just the RAF vs the Luftwaffe.
Holland weaves a myriad of bits and pieces from a wide variety of individuals into a narrative which shows how the Battle of France paved the way for the British victory to come. There are recollections from civilians, airmen, soldiers, sailors, generals and politicians on both sides, all giving interesting peeks into the highs and lows of life during wartime: aerial combat, being on the ground when bombs are falling, the stunning German advance and encirclement of the British Expeditionary Force, political decision-making, military blunders, bone-wearying days of endless flying against a formidable enemy, and some humorous bits here and there as well. I think one of the most often overlooked aspects of the Battle of Britain is touched upon nicely in this book: RAF Bomber Command's war against the Germans while Fighter Command was taking on the Luftwaffe in the skies over England. Holland shows how Bomber Command's sustained pressure on German airfields, factories and cities (including Berlin itself) helped change the direction of the battle away from destroying the RAF and gaining air superiority to destroying London and other British cities.
So, if you want a comprehensive book on the Battle of Britain, this isn't the book for you. But if you want a great book on how the Battle of France merged into the Battle of Britain, and not just in the air, but on the land and the seas as well, you won't be disappointed with this one. Superb narrative, wonderful personal stories and recollections, and excellent recounting of the dark days when Britain stood alone against what many perceived to be an invincible foe.
Holland weaves a myriad of bits and pieces from a wide variety of individuals into a narrative which shows how the Battle of France paved the way for the British victory to come. There are recollections from civilians, airmen, soldiers, sailors, generals and politicians on both sides, all giving interesting peeks into the highs and lows of life during wartime: aerial combat, being on the ground when bombs are falling, the stunning German advance and encirclement of the British Expeditionary Force, political decision-making, military blunders, bone-wearying days of endless flying against a formidable enemy, and some humorous bits here and there as well. I think one of the most often overlooked aspects of the Battle of Britain is touched upon nicely in this book: RAF Bomber Command's war against the Germans while Fighter Command was taking on the Luftwaffe in the skies over England. Holland shows how Bomber Command's sustained pressure on German airfields, factories and cities (including Berlin itself) helped change the direction of the battle away from destroying the RAF and gaining air superiority to destroying London and other British cities.
So, if you want a comprehensive book on the Battle of Britain, this isn't the book for you. But if you want a great book on how the Battle of France merged into the Battle of Britain, and not just in the air, but on the land and the seas as well, you won't be disappointed with this one. Superb narrative, wonderful personal stories and recollections, and excellent recounting of the dark days when Britain stood alone against what many perceived to be an invincible foe.
June 26, 2022
A superb overview of the period of the Battle of Britain. Holland writes fantastically and I love how much of this book came from actual pilots of the R.A.F and Luftwaffe.
June 13, 2010
This book offers the reader a very enjoyable account of the five months between May and October 1940 when Germany invaded the Low Countries smashed France and chased the BEF back to England. The book covers the fighting in France, the retreat back to Dunkirk and then the German operations against England in preparation for 'Sealion', the invasion of Britain.
The book just doesn’t cover the aerial offensive but also the German naval operations that included the U-boats and Schnellboote's and also Britain’s response with Bomber Command’s early operations against Berlin and the Luftwaffe fighter bases in France, something not normally covered in histories covering this campaign.
This is not an in-depth tactical or strategic study of this campaign but a general, popular history using many accounts from those involved, including German and British fighter and bomber pilots (with a number of well know aces). We also hear from civilians on the ground in London and Berlin, naval officers from both sides and politicians & leaders who are conducting the war.
Overall this is a very easy to read and enjoyable study of the most important period at the start of the Second World War.
The book just doesn’t cover the aerial offensive but also the German naval operations that included the U-boats and Schnellboote's and also Britain’s response with Bomber Command’s early operations against Berlin and the Luftwaffe fighter bases in France, something not normally covered in histories covering this campaign.
This is not an in-depth tactical or strategic study of this campaign but a general, popular history using many accounts from those involved, including German and British fighter and bomber pilots (with a number of well know aces). We also hear from civilians on the ground in London and Berlin, naval officers from both sides and politicians & leaders who are conducting the war.
Overall this is a very easy to read and enjoyable study of the most important period at the start of the Second World War.
December 18, 2016
A very populair history novel about the Battle of Britain. James Holland mixes an overall account of the battle with personal stories from people who actually experienced it, from both sides. For someone who is generally interested in history (like me) it's a very enjoyable read.
April 25, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book, James Holland does a brilliant job in encompassing all aspects of the Battle of Britain not just Fighter Command. He details the role played by The Observer Corp, Bomber Command, the RN, the Home Guard, Radar and AA defence. From the German perspective he goes on to explain the roles of the U boats and S boats and the workings of the German High Command.
A significant portion of the book deals with the lead up to the Battle of Britain, the Battle of France is well covered and the author is just as much at home talking about tank battles around the rolling countryside of Northern France as he is about the vicious air battles in the sky above Southern England.
The only gripe I have with this book is the title which is a tad misleading. As stated above this book is as much a history about the war in Europe in its entirety in 1940 than as it is about the Battle of Britain itself and as such someone who is after a book solely about glorious Spitfires tackling 109s maybe disappointed.
Form my perspective I really enjoyed the level of detail present in this book and of the many different aspects of 1940 that were bought together,
A significant portion of the book deals with the lead up to the Battle of Britain, the Battle of France is well covered and the author is just as much at home talking about tank battles around the rolling countryside of Northern France as he is about the vicious air battles in the sky above Southern England.
The only gripe I have with this book is the title which is a tad misleading. As stated above this book is as much a history about the war in Europe in its entirety in 1940 than as it is about the Battle of Britain itself and as such someone who is after a book solely about glorious Spitfires tackling 109s maybe disappointed.
Form my perspective I really enjoyed the level of detail present in this book and of the many different aspects of 1940 that were bought together,
January 11, 2020
This is a difficult book to evaluate and review. My GR friends that have read and reviewed this book give it 4 or 5 stars. I can understand and respect their opinion and, in fact, I can't say I disagree but I do have my reservations about the book so I give it my worth the purchase price rating of 3 stars.
So what are my reservations? The title of the book is The Battle of Britain Five Month That Changed History May-October 1940. The book is 613 pages and only covers 5 months time. During that 5 months only three events of historical significance occurred, France was invaded and fell in less than a month, Britain experienced a miracle in being able to rescue its army at Dunkirk, and Britain was seriously threatened with invasion by Germany. If these events had been written about in a conventional history the resulting book would probably have been 200-300 pages but this author has given us 613 pages. Could one suspect that maybe Mr. Holland got a bit carried away? Well I would have to say he did but in a way that I also have to say I enjoyed. I think Holland has given us three books in one volume which I think was good but also bad.
Holland's book is a richly researched and spectacularly detailed history of three perspectives of this 5 month history. The conventional history is here dealing with the political events and their ramifications. France's utter failure and Britain's attempt to prop them up; the fall of Chamberlain and the rise of Churchill; Britain's overnight mobilization for war and possible invasion; Germany's failure to anticipate its success and then capitalize on it, and the providential selection of the leadership on both sides. The author then gives us a type of history I always find fascinating, he gives stories about the real people that lived through these events. He does speak about the big names in this history but that is not what I am talking about. The author tells us about the experiences of the people in the front lines on both sides as well as the civilians living through the air raids and the bombings. I love the man in the foxhole stories as well as those about the people at home and the people dodging bullets under their beds. These are the stories that make war real for a reader and this book is full of such stories but it is here that Holland may have gone too far.
Holland's civilian stories are fine but the pilot stories is where I think some editing was needed. It is very hard to describe aerial combat in a way that reader can understand it. Nevertheless, the author has done about as good a job of this as might be possible. However, a little of these aerial combat stories goes a long way, a very long way. I certainly understand the author's purpose in trying to convey how the German's abused and exhausted the extremely valuable asset of their experienced pilots but okay I got the message long before the end of the book. I also appreciate the value and worth of the British flyers and can understand a British author wanting the world to know about them but this can be carried to excess and become counterproductive. There was entirely too much detail about insignificant dogfights and it became rather repetitive and exhausting. This abundance of aerial detail leads to what might be considered the author's third level of history, aviation.
The author goes into a very detailed discussion of what aviation enthusiasts will no doubt love. The various planes used by both sides are listed and then their comparative characteristics and uses. The alterations to the designs are detailed as these designs evolved due to combat demands. The author then compares the planes to the planes of their opponents and how they stacked up and how these comparisons forced design alterations and design evolutions. Having exhausted the discussion of the aerial hardware the author details the organizational structure of the two air forces and their leadership, support apparatus, and the infrastructure of the two air forces. Don't get me wrong because I found all of this interesting but did it all have to go in one book? From a purely financial angle I think Mr. Holland missed an opportunity to make a bit more money by dividing this history into some more readable and interesting components. Interesting or not after awhile this book became a chore to finish reading. I suppose it would have helped if I were more of a WWII fan but I am not. If I discover a promising book about that war I will read it but it's not an area of history for which I have a great deal of enthusiasm. I decided to read this book based on the review of another GR friend. I do not regret the read as the book was good but I just think it could have been better.
So what are my reservations? The title of the book is The Battle of Britain Five Month That Changed History May-October 1940. The book is 613 pages and only covers 5 months time. During that 5 months only three events of historical significance occurred, France was invaded and fell in less than a month, Britain experienced a miracle in being able to rescue its army at Dunkirk, and Britain was seriously threatened with invasion by Germany. If these events had been written about in a conventional history the resulting book would probably have been 200-300 pages but this author has given us 613 pages. Could one suspect that maybe Mr. Holland got a bit carried away? Well I would have to say he did but in a way that I also have to say I enjoyed. I think Holland has given us three books in one volume which I think was good but also bad.
Holland's book is a richly researched and spectacularly detailed history of three perspectives of this 5 month history. The conventional history is here dealing with the political events and their ramifications. France's utter failure and Britain's attempt to prop them up; the fall of Chamberlain and the rise of Churchill; Britain's overnight mobilization for war and possible invasion; Germany's failure to anticipate its success and then capitalize on it, and the providential selection of the leadership on both sides. The author then gives us a type of history I always find fascinating, he gives stories about the real people that lived through these events. He does speak about the big names in this history but that is not what I am talking about. The author tells us about the experiences of the people in the front lines on both sides as well as the civilians living through the air raids and the bombings. I love the man in the foxhole stories as well as those about the people at home and the people dodging bullets under their beds. These are the stories that make war real for a reader and this book is full of such stories but it is here that Holland may have gone too far.
Holland's civilian stories are fine but the pilot stories is where I think some editing was needed. It is very hard to describe aerial combat in a way that reader can understand it. Nevertheless, the author has done about as good a job of this as might be possible. However, a little of these aerial combat stories goes a long way, a very long way. I certainly understand the author's purpose in trying to convey how the German's abused and exhausted the extremely valuable asset of their experienced pilots but okay I got the message long before the end of the book. I also appreciate the value and worth of the British flyers and can understand a British author wanting the world to know about them but this can be carried to excess and become counterproductive. There was entirely too much detail about insignificant dogfights and it became rather repetitive and exhausting. This abundance of aerial detail leads to what might be considered the author's third level of history, aviation.
The author goes into a very detailed discussion of what aviation enthusiasts will no doubt love. The various planes used by both sides are listed and then their comparative characteristics and uses. The alterations to the designs are detailed as these designs evolved due to combat demands. The author then compares the planes to the planes of their opponents and how they stacked up and how these comparisons forced design alterations and design evolutions. Having exhausted the discussion of the aerial hardware the author details the organizational structure of the two air forces and their leadership, support apparatus, and the infrastructure of the two air forces. Don't get me wrong because I found all of this interesting but did it all have to go in one book? From a purely financial angle I think Mr. Holland missed an opportunity to make a bit more money by dividing this history into some more readable and interesting components. Interesting or not after awhile this book became a chore to finish reading. I suppose it would have helped if I were more of a WWII fan but I am not. If I discover a promising book about that war I will read it but it's not an area of history for which I have a great deal of enthusiasm. I decided to read this book based on the review of another GR friend. I do not regret the read as the book was good but I just think it could have been better.
December 23, 2021
This is the first book I have read by James Holland, but I am certain that I will be reading more by him in future. This is a well written, and very thorough account, of the events that led up to the Battle of Britain, as well as an account of those five months and the aftermath.
It begins in May, 1940, with a young pilot enjoying flying a spitfire. Along the way, Holland uses personal accounts, from both sides of the Channel, to explain how those involved witnessed events. In this case, a young man, obsessed by flying, was simply exulting in being able to fly a new aircraft, which responded so well. War, although declared, still seemed far away and slightly unreal.
While Hitler planned to attack, Chamberlain was replaced by Churchill. The first Christmas of the war saw Germany suffering harsher rationing, and regulations, than the British. As France fell, Dunkirk unfolded, and Britain stood alone, the threat of invasion was very well. If Britain crumbled under aerial attack, Operation Sea Lion would go ahead. If not, the invasion plans would be put on hold...
Of course, the reader is aware of the outcome, but, for those involved, the threat was very well. However, after the initial shock of bombs falling, people literally did get up and carry on. A young German pilot was worried about crash landing in enemy territory. After being shuttled around and receiving breakfast at every location he ended up in, he felt he might suffer more from over-eating than interrogations.
This is a really thorough account of this momentous event in the early days of WWII. The author gives an excellent historical overview and yet never loses sight of the personal cost involved, which makes this a very readable account of a turning point in the Second World War, when invasion seemed likely, but was thwarted.
It begins in May, 1940, with a young pilot enjoying flying a spitfire. Along the way, Holland uses personal accounts, from both sides of the Channel, to explain how those involved witnessed events. In this case, a young man, obsessed by flying, was simply exulting in being able to fly a new aircraft, which responded so well. War, although declared, still seemed far away and slightly unreal.
While Hitler planned to attack, Chamberlain was replaced by Churchill. The first Christmas of the war saw Germany suffering harsher rationing, and regulations, than the British. As France fell, Dunkirk unfolded, and Britain stood alone, the threat of invasion was very well. If Britain crumbled under aerial attack, Operation Sea Lion would go ahead. If not, the invasion plans would be put on hold...
Of course, the reader is aware of the outcome, but, for those involved, the threat was very well. However, after the initial shock of bombs falling, people literally did get up and carry on. A young German pilot was worried about crash landing in enemy territory. After being shuttled around and receiving breakfast at every location he ended up in, he felt he might suffer more from over-eating than interrogations.
This is a really thorough account of this momentous event in the early days of WWII. The author gives an excellent historical overview and yet never loses sight of the personal cost involved, which makes this a very readable account of a turning point in the Second World War, when invasion seemed likely, but was thwarted.
March 3, 2025
The section about the Battle of Britain only begins at page 589. My God. Holland is incapable of not including even a single thing he has researched. Why would I ever want to read full page backstories of people who will never be mentioned again? This book would have been at least a 4 star read if it had been 600 pages instead of 900, or if an editor had been a bit firmer with Holland.
This book also doesn't know what it wants to be about. Nothing Holland wrote about was uninteresting (apart from the multi-paragraph backstories that I genuinely began to just skip) but lots of it was irrelevant to the stated topic. There is nothing wrong with writing about U-boat operations if that's what you're interested in but it doesn't have much to do with the Battle of Britain. You know, the title of the book. Why was I reading about panzer operations in the Ardennes? That is neither an air battle nor in Britain. These things are interesting and were clearly well-researched but had nothing to do with what the book wanted to be about. Holland wants to cover everything and as a result nothing is covered with enough depth to warrant its inclusion. The first three hundred pages of the book could have been expanded upon - Holland clearly has the research and the passion to do it - and made into a book of its own about the capitulation of France and the Dunkirk evacuation. Instead, bits about how this related to the RAF and Luftwaffe felt crowbarred in and I spent a lot of time in my book about planes reading about boats and tanks. I also like boats and tanks. But this is a book about PLANES.
Holland's style is good and everything in this book was interesting but my god, this needed an editor with more backbone. Something he clearly did acquire because in his more recent book, Savage Storm , he does at least limit his writing to Italy. If he'd written in the same style as Battle of Britain , there would have been at least three hundred pages in the beginning about the war in the Pacific or something. This could have been such a good book but man am I tired. The bits about planes slapped though.
This book also doesn't know what it wants to be about. Nothing Holland wrote about was uninteresting (apart from the multi-paragraph backstories that I genuinely began to just skip) but lots of it was irrelevant to the stated topic. There is nothing wrong with writing about U-boat operations if that's what you're interested in but it doesn't have much to do with the Battle of Britain. You know, the title of the book. Why was I reading about panzer operations in the Ardennes? That is neither an air battle nor in Britain. These things are interesting and were clearly well-researched but had nothing to do with what the book wanted to be about. Holland wants to cover everything and as a result nothing is covered with enough depth to warrant its inclusion. The first three hundred pages of the book could have been expanded upon - Holland clearly has the research and the passion to do it - and made into a book of its own about the capitulation of France and the Dunkirk evacuation. Instead, bits about how this related to the RAF and Luftwaffe felt crowbarred in and I spent a lot of time in my book about planes reading about boats and tanks. I also like boats and tanks. But this is a book about PLANES.
Holland's style is good and everything in this book was interesting but my god, this needed an editor with more backbone. Something he clearly did acquire because in his more recent book, Savage Storm , he does at least limit his writing to Italy. If he'd written in the same style as Battle of Britain , there would have been at least three hundred pages in the beginning about the war in the Pacific or something. This could have been such a good book but man am I tired. The bits about planes slapped though.
February 27, 2025
As I was slogging through the first half to two-thirds I thought I would be explaining that, while placing events in context is important, there are lines to be drawn to avoid going back to the Wright Brothers at Kittyhawk or some mad monk bearing feathers and an unfailing trust in the divine.
However, the last third made it much simpler than that. The Battle of Britain is two books (barely) compressed into one. I need not try to understand how a detailed recounting of the crossing of the Meuse has any bearing on a scramble at Biggin Hill. It doesn’t, other than how any chain of events will lead you places, with so many branches in between as to bury any real causation.
Further, the book is real heavy going until you get to the actual Battle of Britain. Because the first part feels like an ill formed draft of the Battle of France, it lacks a driving force. Things happen and they don’t clearly move towards the titular subject. The air-campaign itself is fine, with a tendency to emphasise German mistakes rather than British skill, which is a matter of opinion that I take no issue with (the sources include Bungay’s Most Dangerous Enemy, so Holland knows the countervailing narrative). Despite this, I felt that Holland did not properly set out the British Group arrangements or give an interesting operational oversight of the battle.
There’s nothing particularly novel about my criticisms, Holland’s podcast co-host ribbed him at length about the time taken to get to the actual Battle of Britain, with weak asides that it was otherwise a good book. I am willing to be harsher and say it is not a good book. Holland is an excellent writer and elements of his skills appear in this book, but they feel protean, a rushed combination of surface level sourcing and a need to smash together working sketches.
The Battle of Britain is the best one star book I have ever read. Yet, even suffering under the handicap system for World War II books, the rating feels appropriate. It’s the ultimate example of poor construction, leaving me feeling entitled to describe it as outright boring.
However, the last third made it much simpler than that. The Battle of Britain is two books (barely) compressed into one. I need not try to understand how a detailed recounting of the crossing of the Meuse has any bearing on a scramble at Biggin Hill. It doesn’t, other than how any chain of events will lead you places, with so many branches in between as to bury any real causation.
Further, the book is real heavy going until you get to the actual Battle of Britain. Because the first part feels like an ill formed draft of the Battle of France, it lacks a driving force. Things happen and they don’t clearly move towards the titular subject. The air-campaign itself is fine, with a tendency to emphasise German mistakes rather than British skill, which is a matter of opinion that I take no issue with (the sources include Bungay’s Most Dangerous Enemy, so Holland knows the countervailing narrative). Despite this, I felt that Holland did not properly set out the British Group arrangements or give an interesting operational oversight of the battle.
There’s nothing particularly novel about my criticisms, Holland’s podcast co-host ribbed him at length about the time taken to get to the actual Battle of Britain, with weak asides that it was otherwise a good book. I am willing to be harsher and say it is not a good book. Holland is an excellent writer and elements of his skills appear in this book, but they feel protean, a rushed combination of surface level sourcing and a need to smash together working sketches.
The Battle of Britain is the best one star book I have ever read. Yet, even suffering under the handicap system for World War II books, the rating feels appropriate. It’s the ultimate example of poor construction, leaving me feeling entitled to describe it as outright boring.
August 18, 2023
It's truly a brilliant read. Owned the book for a number of years now and decided to try the audiobook and it just works so much better. Holland is a master of drawing you into the story or perhaps that should be a master at making history a story. There's no huge chapters on his thoughts and feelings or time spent analysing what x or y had for breakfast on the morning of a big decision, just a flow narrative that you never really need to stop and digest what has been said.
That's not to say the story is missing in detail of depth, but more that Holland (like his brother) seems to know just the right amount of information to convey to hammer the point home without getting bogged down in needless exposition like for example I've always found Chris Clark to be bad for that. The players in the game are explained without it becoming a biography, the planes are discussed without it becoming a tech manual but enough is shown to explain why the ME-109 was a particular way or the thinking of Dowding to do x over y to make the whole thing much more engaging.
What I also love to high heavens is Al Murray's narration. I feel like I'm somewhat bias as I love both Holland's writing and Murray for his comedy work but really what Murray brings to the whole thing is a feeling it's not a book you're reading but rather a story you're being told in a pub. The subject matter could be cold and dry, and by goodness I've read enough books like that but Holland's down at the coal face style meshed with Al Murray's warm vocals means if I felt the need to come back to this book again, and I probably will, then I'd probably go for the audio book first. All in all a fantastic read.
That's not to say the story is missing in detail of depth, but more that Holland (like his brother) seems to know just the right amount of information to convey to hammer the point home without getting bogged down in needless exposition like for example I've always found Chris Clark to be bad for that. The players in the game are explained without it becoming a biography, the planes are discussed without it becoming a tech manual but enough is shown to explain why the ME-109 was a particular way or the thinking of Dowding to do x over y to make the whole thing much more engaging.
What I also love to high heavens is Al Murray's narration. I feel like I'm somewhat bias as I love both Holland's writing and Murray for his comedy work but really what Murray brings to the whole thing is a feeling it's not a book you're reading but rather a story you're being told in a pub. The subject matter could be cold and dry, and by goodness I've read enough books like that but Holland's down at the coal face style meshed with Al Murray's warm vocals means if I felt the need to come back to this book again, and I probably will, then I'd probably go for the audio book first. All in all a fantastic read.
March 29, 2023
“Squadrons were once again scrambled, although this time Park aimed to have most of his forces attacking the bombers as they turned back for home. They were also scrambled in pairings of one Spitfire and one Hurricane squadron….
…Once again, the Prime Minister watched the plots moving on the table and the lights moving to ‘engaged.’ Conscious of Park’s growing anxiety, he asked, ‘What reserves have we got?’
‘There are none,’ Park replied. All his available squadrons were now airborne.” —The Battle of Britain, James Holland
A taut, focused history that raced by despite more than 600 pages of narrative material, and one that provided me with new strategic, tactical and technical insights from this critical period in time.
Highly recommend.
…Once again, the Prime Minister watched the plots moving on the table and the lights moving to ‘engaged.’ Conscious of Park’s growing anxiety, he asked, ‘What reserves have we got?’
‘There are none,’ Park replied. All his available squadrons were now airborne.” —The Battle of Britain, James Holland
A taut, focused history that raced by despite more than 600 pages of narrative material, and one that provided me with new strategic, tactical and technical insights from this critical period in time.
Highly recommend.
June 10, 2020
"Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war" Sir Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, 18th June 1940
Many historians have written about The Battle of Britain. James Holland is one of a new generation of historians who were born long after the war. He takes a fresh approach to the heroics of the men and women of Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and the Royal Navy, who would not be cowed by the might of the Luftwaffe, at a time when the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.
Holland's 924 page tome is a significant achievement written with a proper spirit of enquiry, full of personal accounts from both sides, both British and German pilots and not forgetting the Polish and Czech squadrons that made a significant contribution. Indeed, it was one of these fighter pilots, Geoff Wellum, who prompted Holland to begin a career as a historian. These personal accounts add a new level of immediacy to aerial confrontation and the pace of the book never flags.
The Battle of Britain is an ambitious and comprehensive telling of this epic story when Britain stood alone against the might of the Wehrmacht.
Highly recommended reading.
Many historians have written about The Battle of Britain. James Holland is one of a new generation of historians who were born long after the war. He takes a fresh approach to the heroics of the men and women of Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and the Royal Navy, who would not be cowed by the might of the Luftwaffe, at a time when the fate of the world truly hung by a thread.
Holland's 924 page tome is a significant achievement written with a proper spirit of enquiry, full of personal accounts from both sides, both British and German pilots and not forgetting the Polish and Czech squadrons that made a significant contribution. Indeed, it was one of these fighter pilots, Geoff Wellum, who prompted Holland to begin a career as a historian. These personal accounts add a new level of immediacy to aerial confrontation and the pace of the book never flags.
The Battle of Britain is an ambitious and comprehensive telling of this epic story when Britain stood alone against the might of the Wehrmacht.
Highly recommended reading.
October 11, 2023
This looks a hefty book, but proved to be a rattling good read. Covering what is probably the most crucial period in this country's history, James Holland tells a great story with plenty of first hand accounts. It's something of a running gag on the podcast, 'We Have Ways of Making You Talk', that the Battle of Britain doesn't actually start until some 400 pages into this book which, I suppose isn't far from the truth. So, if you are eager to read about scrambling Spitfires and Hurricanes from the start, this may not be the book for you (try 'Eagle Day' instead, one of the first books I reviewed) but, personally, I found the background on the Battle for France, Dunkirk, the development of the RAF and the Luftwaffe (and their planes) and the politics of both sides fascinating and essential background for understanding the Battle of Britain in its proper context. This may also not be the book for you if you just want the myth; yes, 'The Few' feature (and quite rightly too) but there are also the politicians, 'the boffins', Bomber and Coastal Commands, ack-ack gunners, the Royal Navy (and U-boats), various armies and a reminder that, in any battle, the enemy has a say and that, in spite of the best efforts of the Luftwaffe pilots, the Germans played a part in losing the battle.
With a good selection of photos, clear maps and helpful illustrations and orders of battle, this is a super book on the Battle of Britain.
With a good selection of photos, clear maps and helpful illustrations and orders of battle, this is a super book on the Battle of Britain.
October 1, 2021
This is extremely thorough and mostly, complete examination of the Battle of Britain. (Mr. Holland skips Italy’s contribution to the battle even if it was small, it was 170 aircraft, it was still there.)
Unlike most books about the Battle, this one covers the events leading up to it including the invasion of France, the evacuation at Dunkirk, and even the aircraft development programs in Germany and Great Britain.
There is a great deal of biographical anecdotes covering people who were of major significance on the world stage, to the ordinary folks effected by the war.
There is plenty of coverage on the naval war that Germany inflicted on Britain in trying to set up the invasion, Operation SeaLion.
This just a very good book that gives so much more than a dry background or statistics. It’s well worth your time if you have an interest in WWII, air warfare, or military strategy.
Unlike most books about the Battle, this one covers the events leading up to it including the invasion of France, the evacuation at Dunkirk, and even the aircraft development programs in Germany and Great Britain.
There is a great deal of biographical anecdotes covering people who were of major significance on the world stage, to the ordinary folks effected by the war.
There is plenty of coverage on the naval war that Germany inflicted on Britain in trying to set up the invasion, Operation SeaLion.
This just a very good book that gives so much more than a dry background or statistics. It’s well worth your time if you have an interest in WWII, air warfare, or military strategy.
June 13, 2024
While I did enjoy James’s book, I have to say I feel a little bit disappointed that such short part of the book was actually dedicated to the Battle of Britain. The actual Battle felt light. The book should really be called the fall of France and the Battle of Britain. Too much introduction.
April 12, 2022
A great story well told which challenges some of the myths around the Battle of Britain.
June 22, 2023
Amazing and full of detail; truly one of the best history books ever written.
February 11, 2025
Brilliant and fascinating read that both challenges and confirms many thoughts about this crucial time in the war.
March 19, 2025
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Al Murray.
Utterly all-encompassing. I don’t think I’ll need another book about the Battle of Britain at least for some time!
James Holland does it again, reigning clear and supreme in my opinion as the best WWII author for easy-to-read and understand WWII history.
For anyone interested in the wider context of the Battle of Britain, aside from the usual spitfire vs messerschmitt books, this is for you. Some great personal accounts and experiences, on both sides of the conflict too.
Plus, the final chapter of the audiobook has some discussion about the book between Al Murray and James Holland which is worth listening to, especially for any fans of their podcast!
Utterly all-encompassing. I don’t think I’ll need another book about the Battle of Britain at least for some time!
James Holland does it again, reigning clear and supreme in my opinion as the best WWII author for easy-to-read and understand WWII history.
For anyone interested in the wider context of the Battle of Britain, aside from the usual spitfire vs messerschmitt books, this is for you. Some great personal accounts and experiences, on both sides of the conflict too.
Plus, the final chapter of the audiobook has some discussion about the book between Al Murray and James Holland which is worth listening to, especially for any fans of their podcast!
April 19, 2021
"It has been fashionable in recent years to play down the importance of the Battle of Britain, but to do so is wrong. It was a key - if not the key - turning point in the war because it meant that instead of the conflict being a European war which one day would escalate into a clash between Germany and Russia, it became a global conflict in which the Third Reich was unlikely to ever realistically emerge victorious. Britain's defiance did save the world from Nazism."
5 stars.
"A notable account of an epic human experience" Max Hastings declares on the cover of this book, and to be honest, he's completely right. The Battle of Britain: Five Months That Changed History, May-October 1940 is a brilliant, thorough piece of research that tells the story of those dramatic five months from a complete 360° perspective, instead of simply from the point of the RAF or the Luftwaffe. We learn about events leading up to the battle, from the start of the western campaign to the evactuation of Dunkirk, and how they helped to shape the events to follow; we learn about the part played by the navy, the army, the Ministry of Information, and all those on the ground who made a difference; we also learn about the huge German effort and, in the end, how wholly unprepared for long-term war they really were.
As someone who has always had an interest in the history of the Battle of Britain but has never really delved into it before (I'm usually more of a Medieval history buff), this book was a perfect place to start. Historical facts interspersed with personal stories from both sides really brought the story vividly to life, showing not only what happened, but how the men on the front lines reacted to it. It's easy for an author to write 'this happened, then this, then this' and then opine about what contemporary people's reaction might have been, but the beauty of writing anything in modern times is you can really know. Not only is there ample written sources, but you can go and speak and hear their experiences first-hand, too. This book masterfully balances both the use of the historic record and personal stories so one never overshadows the other, truly bringing to life the rollarcoaster of emotions people on both sides must have been feeling from May to October (and until the end of the war, too).
His chapters on the political goings-on were some of the most interesting to me. From Churchill's rise to Prime Minister to the outright lies told to Hitler and Göring, you really start to see just how easily the battle may have gone completely the other way. If Göring had been told accurate figures, if Hitler hadn't hesitated, and if they had managed to get more U-boats in the Atlantic to disrupt shipping to the United Kingdom, then the Battle of Britain may well have been well and truly lost. To be honest, I'm glad these things are given ample time in this book. The popular image of the Battle of Britain is of brave RAF fighters stopping the stem of Nazism - It's why the Spitfire is still such a beloved plane to this day - but James Holland really stresses the importance of the army, the navy, Bomber Command, the Home Guard, and all the others who were just as important in fighting off the seemingly invincible German forces in the summer of 1940. But it also shows the key difference in British and German leadership at the time, which was perhaps one of the biggest reasons the battle went the way it did. I've certainly developed an immense respect for Hugh Dowding and Keith Park because of this book.
Overall, this is a brilliantly, well-researched account of one of the most immortalised moments in the Second World War, and what I loved about it is that it never forgets about the human aspect of it all. I'll definitely be reading more about the Battle of Britain in the future, as well as picking up more of Holland's work. His understanding of the subject really is top-class, and this book is brilliant in its simplicity and accessibility.
December 1, 2015
The funny thing about e-readers is you can't tell how long the book is, or how much of it you have left, aside from the percentage listed on the bottom, which just isn't the same as the way the balance of a book changes based on how much you've read versus how much you still have left to read. So this book turned out to be longer than I had anticipated, but that was for the most part a good thing. The author took the long view of what the Battle of Britain was, rather than just the aerial war over Britain in the summer of 1940, he essentially started with the German invasion of France in May. He looked at the war on land in mainland Europe, then in the air and on the sea after that. So it took a while to get to the part I was anticipating, the air war. It was fascinating stuff, though. It's amazing, given how much has been written about the Battle of Britain, and how it's become so legendary in British history, how small the number of those guys there actually was. When Churchill said, "Never was so much owed by so many to so few," it was a great line not just because of the idea of the debt owed by the comparative many, but also because there literally were not many of them. It was a small enough group that they all seemed to know each other, they all had nicknames by which they were known to each other and to the public at large. They tended to be wealthy and well-educated, because at the time, those were tended to be the only people who had the time and the disposable income required to learn to fly.
But all of the drama that has been attached to that summer is pretty real, and it is amazing that an era of such historical significance was packed into a single summer, really just a couple of months. The fact that it has been studied and discussed and written about for seventy-five years and counting makes it seem kind of eternal, but the reality is it was all over before anyone really knew what was going on. The psychology of that is pretty fascinating to me.
For the most part, Holland writes well, and he is meticulous about his detail. My one pet-peeve was that he, without fail, would put the word "some" in front of any number he wrote about. "The RAF shot down some 22 planes" or "a distance of some 123 miles," or "costing some 5,000 pounds." Without fail, and it started driving me nuts. For British readers, it might seem perfectly normal, but for me, it seemed a little ridiculous.
Overall, though, it was an excellent book, and highly recommended for someone who really wants to dive into the depths of the Battle of Britain.
But all of the drama that has been attached to that summer is pretty real, and it is amazing that an era of such historical significance was packed into a single summer, really just a couple of months. The fact that it has been studied and discussed and written about for seventy-five years and counting makes it seem kind of eternal, but the reality is it was all over before anyone really knew what was going on. The psychology of that is pretty fascinating to me.
For the most part, Holland writes well, and he is meticulous about his detail. My one pet-peeve was that he, without fail, would put the word "some" in front of any number he wrote about. "The RAF shot down some 22 planes" or "a distance of some 123 miles," or "costing some 5,000 pounds." Without fail, and it started driving me nuts. For British readers, it might seem perfectly normal, but for me, it seemed a little ridiculous.
Overall, though, it was an excellent book, and highly recommended for someone who really wants to dive into the depths of the Battle of Britain.
September 6, 2015
As someone who spent preschool mostly playing "jet" with arms outstretched and running around in circles chasing imaginary MiGs, I can't imagine a cooler gig than being a fighter pilot. The fact is that after one of those end-of-the-world college breakups, I actually called a recruiter and tried to sign up for the Air Force. When I found out that there was no way in hell Uncle Sam would trust my eyesight with an expensive aircraft I turned to a life of pushing numbers around on a spreadsheet. (Maybe the smart thing was doing ROTC?) Sigh.
For us more at home in the air rather than on terra firma, the Battle of Britain has passed into the realm of heroics and myth. The crippling of a numerically superior Teutonic foe makes this a victory on par with Trafalgar. No doubt that this was a moment when the few stood against the designs of an obese Reichsmarschall and his taskmaster.
What the author does so constantly well is to let the light of fact and reason nudge us out of unedifying reverence. Actually, things were not so desperate with respect to home island defense. Sir Hugh Dowding’s strategy of conservative aggression was highly effective against a bloated and overconfident Luftwaffe. The use of networked radar and spotters was truly revolutionary in that it 1) gave sector commanders a rich knowledge of the battlefield 2) conserved precious fuel since radar had made air patrols largely unnecessary and 3) allowed Hurricane and Spitfire pilots to pounce on unaware Messerschmitts. That this was done in opposition to Churchill makes Dowding’s contribution all the more important. One still awaits a proper, modern biography of the man. But the lesson here is not so much the wonder of Homeric action as it is the power of technology and organization to burn off the fog of war. For this we must thank Holland’s efforts at bringing the battle back into the realm of the real.
The day was won due to attrition. Had Hitler pressed his attacks before diverting to his long held desire to attack the Soviet Union under the strangely prescient name of ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the islands would have surely fallen. Thankfully, I suppose, der Führer plunged headlong into his blunder. And as the author is right to point out, the German air forces that confronted Stalin were notably weaker. And that, perhaps more so than any other outcome, sets off the chain of events that lead to final victory.
For us more at home in the air rather than on terra firma, the Battle of Britain has passed into the realm of heroics and myth. The crippling of a numerically superior Teutonic foe makes this a victory on par with Trafalgar. No doubt that this was a moment when the few stood against the designs of an obese Reichsmarschall and his taskmaster.
What the author does so constantly well is to let the light of fact and reason nudge us out of unedifying reverence. Actually, things were not so desperate with respect to home island defense. Sir Hugh Dowding’s strategy of conservative aggression was highly effective against a bloated and overconfident Luftwaffe. The use of networked radar and spotters was truly revolutionary in that it 1) gave sector commanders a rich knowledge of the battlefield 2) conserved precious fuel since radar had made air patrols largely unnecessary and 3) allowed Hurricane and Spitfire pilots to pounce on unaware Messerschmitts. That this was done in opposition to Churchill makes Dowding’s contribution all the more important. One still awaits a proper, modern biography of the man. But the lesson here is not so much the wonder of Homeric action as it is the power of technology and organization to burn off the fog of war. For this we must thank Holland’s efforts at bringing the battle back into the realm of the real.
The day was won due to attrition. Had Hitler pressed his attacks before diverting to his long held desire to attack the Soviet Union under the strangely prescient name of ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the islands would have surely fallen. Thankfully, I suppose, der Führer plunged headlong into his blunder. And as the author is right to point out, the German air forces that confronted Stalin were notably weaker. And that, perhaps more so than any other outcome, sets off the chain of events that lead to final victory.
July 5, 2016
This is the best WW2 book ive read. Not only Holland takes a look into the major aspect of the operations, beginning with the fall of france, then dunkirk and later on the battle of britain itself, but he also goes deep into the personal level, having interviewed tons of german and british soldiers, pilots, civilians and etc. The end was quite heartbreaking, with him reporting what happened to all the people he had focused on the ground during these 5 months of struggle.
The book is quite large, but it pays off, and is a real page turner. When i got it i thought it would start with the battle of britain itself, but i was glad to see that the battle of france, and BEF's withdraw to the coast are also detailed quite well. The maps in these chapters are also quite good, showing how really close the BEF was to being completely cut off. If it wasnt for the british attack in Arras and the halt order, the french defence of Lille and Gort's order to fight by day and retreat by night, it would have been quite different.
All in all, this book details these five months thoroughly, and shows exactly why the luftwaffe, having a better fighter plane at the moment, and more of them, managed to lose. The reasons were many as show in the book but the british resiliance was one of them. In the end, indeed the battle of britain is shown as having been one of the most decisive battles in the war, one that not only defeated the luftwaffe, that had in may 3500 planes, and by october had lost 3700 planes. (with having a production of just 250 or so), but the battle that transformed the german war not in a continental war, but in a world war, which inevitably put the US going to the allies, and made the german attack on the soviet union happen way earlier than Hitler intended, with one of the main reasons for such was to, after the supposed defeat of the Soviet Union, Britain would have no choice then but to finally give up.
In the end, the battle of britain, and the british succesful resistance during the 1 year that it stood alone against all of occupied europe, made sure that eventually germany and italy would indeed be defeated, it was just a matter of time.
The book is quite large, but it pays off, and is a real page turner. When i got it i thought it would start with the battle of britain itself, but i was glad to see that the battle of france, and BEF's withdraw to the coast are also detailed quite well. The maps in these chapters are also quite good, showing how really close the BEF was to being completely cut off. If it wasnt for the british attack in Arras and the halt order, the french defence of Lille and Gort's order to fight by day and retreat by night, it would have been quite different.
All in all, this book details these five months thoroughly, and shows exactly why the luftwaffe, having a better fighter plane at the moment, and more of them, managed to lose. The reasons were many as show in the book but the british resiliance was one of them. In the end, indeed the battle of britain is shown as having been one of the most decisive battles in the war, one that not only defeated the luftwaffe, that had in may 3500 planes, and by october had lost 3700 planes. (with having a production of just 250 or so), but the battle that transformed the german war not in a continental war, but in a world war, which inevitably put the US going to the allies, and made the german attack on the soviet union happen way earlier than Hitler intended, with one of the main reasons for such was to, after the supposed defeat of the Soviet Union, Britain would have no choice then but to finally give up.
In the end, the battle of britain, and the british succesful resistance during the 1 year that it stood alone against all of occupied europe, made sure that eventually germany and italy would indeed be defeated, it was just a matter of time.
January 30, 2024
If you have any interest in the Second World War, I highly recommend this book. I read this in about one week, because it was difficult to put down. Holland gathers a lot of information that I had not seen before and summarizes it very well. For example, he clearly and briefly describes the personalities of the top brass of the German Army and their varying approaches to the strategy on the eve of the invasion of France, and then delves into how that played out on a day by day commentary as they meet the French and British. He does the same with the Luftwaffe under Goring, and explains the numerous clashes of personalities and strategies that were so frustrating for the rank and file of the pilots and airmen. He adds further detail (than I had not run accros in previous reading) of the build-up of Britain’s strategic air defense and political clashes there as well. And he weaves the whole tale in a coherent chronology from the points of view of a group of individual pilots and civilians, taking you right into the action, day by day, but writes so well that the entire book holds together seamlessly, and is hard to stop reading.
September 17, 2011
This is a decent, accessible, popular history of the Battle of Britain. It brings in the personal experiences and reflections of a handful of pilots, gunners, and seamen from both the British and German military. Because I haven't read many books yet about the personal experiences of people serving in the German air force or navy, and none at all during the time of the Battle of Britain, those bits were of particular interest to me. There were also some character sketches of various American, British, and German military and political personalities. (Joe Kennedy is not portrayed kindly, which surprised me not at all.) Some things I thought very important were touched on only lightly or not at all--the horrible treatment of Dowding, for example, or the fact that Chamberlain, despite his "appeasement" approach, had laid the crucial groundwork years earlier for the RAF's ability to respond in the summer of 1940. Still, happy to have read it, though anyone wanting more in-depth information would want to read, say, THE MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY by Stephen Bungay.
September 1, 2012
This book showed me how little I really knew about the Great War as my Grandad called it. It is amazing how much the outcome of that war depended on mistakes made by the German forces and some very good luck on the side of the allies.
It is not an easy read, but it is interesting - I found it wasn't dry like many history books, I suggest reading it in chunks rather than trying to read the whole thing in one go. It was definitely worth persevering with, especially as it brought to life real people, real men who lost their lives to preserve the freedom of many.
It is not an easy read, but it is interesting - I found it wasn't dry like many history books, I suggest reading it in chunks rather than trying to read the whole thing in one go. It was definitely worth persevering with, especially as it brought to life real people, real men who lost their lives to preserve the freedom of many.
January 2, 2012
Enjoyed reading both sides of the story. I found myself re-reading chapters and looking up people for whom I had never heard of. It was also good to read how there were Germans who did not slavishly follow Hitler and the Nazis. There was descent, but it also gave food for thought again, how easily people are swayed to an extreme hatred and aggression. A lesson we should all heed.
January 27, 2018
This book covers The Battle of Britain in great detail, spending time on key players, the beginning of war, life under the Nazi government, background on Hitler, Goering, and Goebbels, and background on Churchill.
There are dozens of characters, mostly pilots in the RAF and Luftwaffe. I think I could have done a better job keeping track of them if reading the book instead of listening to it. In the audio version, the characters all ran together into "Generic RAF Pilot" and "Generic Luftwaffe Pilot".
The author spends time on Britain's difficult choice of sending planes to France or holding them back for defense of Britain. In the end, Britain sent many places to France despite knowing that it was for a losing cause. Churchill in particular found it hard to abandon his ally.
The book spends on a lot of time on the evacuation of Dunkirk. The author points out that Goering thought the Luftwaffe could finish off the British troops at Dunkirk so Hitler intentionally stopped the forward progress of the German army. One thing that often doesn't get covered in Dunkirk material is the many (mostly French) men that had to get captured so that the others could escape to Britain.
The U-boat war is also covered, including the evolution of wolf-pack tactics. The authors' opinion is that the U-boats may have been able to win the war against Britain if only Germany would have had sufficient numbers of them. This is a common theme in the book -- Germany being unprepared for war, in terms of number of aircraft as well as number of U-boats.
The author points out that Goering handicapping his fighter pilots by making them fly defensively to protect bombers instead of letting them fly offensively to attack fighters, leading to the Luftwaffe's defeat during the battle. I liked the phrase the author used to describe the German air force - "a house can have cracks so long as there is no storm".
I enjoyed the sections on the technology breakthroughs of the war. The invention of radar, radar directional navigation, Britain's elaborate air defense system including spotters and plotting tables, and their countermeasures against German directional finding system, the cat-and-mouse game between the scientists in Britain and Germany.
The author provides detailed descriptions of Spitfires, Messerschmitt 109s, and Hurricanes, the three principal fighter planes of the battle. Fun fact of the book: Spitfires only had 15 seconds of machine gun ammunition.
The author's conclusion on the battle is that Germany had to defeat both Britain and France to be successful. They only defeated France, guaranteeing that they would fight a two-front war, the one thing that Hitler hoped to avoid.
I enjoyed reading a WW2 history that had very little of the USA in it. It was a nice perspective.
There are dozens of characters, mostly pilots in the RAF and Luftwaffe. I think I could have done a better job keeping track of them if reading the book instead of listening to it. In the audio version, the characters all ran together into "Generic RAF Pilot" and "Generic Luftwaffe Pilot".
The author spends time on Britain's difficult choice of sending planes to France or holding them back for defense of Britain. In the end, Britain sent many places to France despite knowing that it was for a losing cause. Churchill in particular found it hard to abandon his ally.
The book spends on a lot of time on the evacuation of Dunkirk. The author points out that Goering thought the Luftwaffe could finish off the British troops at Dunkirk so Hitler intentionally stopped the forward progress of the German army. One thing that often doesn't get covered in Dunkirk material is the many (mostly French) men that had to get captured so that the others could escape to Britain.
The U-boat war is also covered, including the evolution of wolf-pack tactics. The authors' opinion is that the U-boats may have been able to win the war against Britain if only Germany would have had sufficient numbers of them. This is a common theme in the book -- Germany being unprepared for war, in terms of number of aircraft as well as number of U-boats.
The author points out that Goering handicapping his fighter pilots by making them fly defensively to protect bombers instead of letting them fly offensively to attack fighters, leading to the Luftwaffe's defeat during the battle. I liked the phrase the author used to describe the German air force - "a house can have cracks so long as there is no storm".
I enjoyed the sections on the technology breakthroughs of the war. The invention of radar, radar directional navigation, Britain's elaborate air defense system including spotters and plotting tables, and their countermeasures against German directional finding system, the cat-and-mouse game between the scientists in Britain and Germany.
The author provides detailed descriptions of Spitfires, Messerschmitt 109s, and Hurricanes, the three principal fighter planes of the battle. Fun fact of the book: Spitfires only had 15 seconds of machine gun ammunition.
The author's conclusion on the battle is that Germany had to defeat both Britain and France to be successful. They only defeated France, guaranteeing that they would fight a two-front war, the one thing that Hitler hoped to avoid.
I enjoyed reading a WW2 history that had very little of the USA in it. It was a nice perspective.
March 10, 2024
Military history has always been the genre that I *wish* I felt more enthusiasm for. Maybe it's my lack of knowledge in the fields of firearms, aviation, artillery, and ships, or maybe it's the simple lack of pictures/diagrams in these types of books (pictures are far more common when these types of books are aimed at young boys instead of literate adults).
But I think The Battle of Britain does a pretty good job of hitting my "enjoyment values" in this genre. Despite the title, this book is actually a good summary and even analysis of the western campaign: beginning with the Panzers rushing off to France in order to trap the French and BEF armies against Dunkirk, and ending with the conclusion of the Battle of Britain - Operation SEALION having failed before it even officially begun.
I think the first half was more engaging as Holland did a good job balancing all of the various "fronts" of the war. There were great descriptions of the efforts of infantrymen, artillery, air force, and the navy of both sides. What was more my interest, however, was the politics and citizenry of Britain and Germany. There was a decent amount of that, however, it did seem to ticker off as the book progressed. In the last third, the air-force was the primary subject of the book, which could get repetitive at times, but what do you really expect? Look at the cover, dumbass. Another low point was the technical descriptions of the radar systems which honestly left me snoring even if I understood its inclusion.
I certainly learned a lot and got some other facts better drilled into my head, which is my main motivation in reading these types of books. Holland did give context to many of the Nazi's early victories, ultimately disproving the idea of the untouchable myth that the Nazis presented themselves to be before Russia (something people still believe). The upper leadership of the Nazis continued to prove itself to be hilariously stupid, something which I think needs more popular media covering if we are to put to rest the myth of the 'good aspects of Nazi Germany'.
Individual men in these armed forces can always be individually examined and praised, but the incompetence of Nazi leadership is always something I think popular opinion can pay attention to more often. Basically what I'm trying to say is that history teachers should stop calling Hitler a genius. As early as Dunkirk, he was factually proven to be an egotistical idiot.
Don't think I'll be reading more on the western front when it comes to strictly military history for a while, but this was certainly more engaging than I expected, so eventually I'll be looking through more of James Holland's work. I'll also probably be reading more into some more technical military aspects such as various planes... as long as there's pictures ha ha.
But I think The Battle of Britain does a pretty good job of hitting my "enjoyment values" in this genre. Despite the title, this book is actually a good summary and even analysis of the western campaign: beginning with the Panzers rushing off to France in order to trap the French and BEF armies against Dunkirk, and ending with the conclusion of the Battle of Britain - Operation SEALION having failed before it even officially begun.
I think the first half was more engaging as Holland did a good job balancing all of the various "fronts" of the war. There were great descriptions of the efforts of infantrymen, artillery, air force, and the navy of both sides. What was more my interest, however, was the politics and citizenry of Britain and Germany. There was a decent amount of that, however, it did seem to ticker off as the book progressed. In the last third, the air-force was the primary subject of the book, which could get repetitive at times, but what do you really expect? Look at the cover, dumbass. Another low point was the technical descriptions of the radar systems which honestly left me snoring even if I understood its inclusion.
I certainly learned a lot and got some other facts better drilled into my head, which is my main motivation in reading these types of books. Holland did give context to many of the Nazi's early victories, ultimately disproving the idea of the untouchable myth that the Nazis presented themselves to be before Russia (something people still believe). The upper leadership of the Nazis continued to prove itself to be hilariously stupid, something which I think needs more popular media covering if we are to put to rest the myth of the 'good aspects of Nazi Germany'.
Individual men in these armed forces can always be individually examined and praised, but the incompetence of Nazi leadership is always something I think popular opinion can pay attention to more often. Basically what I'm trying to say is that history teachers should stop calling Hitler a genius. As early as Dunkirk, he was factually proven to be an egotistical idiot.
Don't think I'll be reading more on the western front when it comes to strictly military history for a while, but this was certainly more engaging than I expected, so eventually I'll be looking through more of James Holland's work. I'll also probably be reading more into some more technical military aspects such as various planes... as long as there's pictures ha ha.
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